Consequences
by zegeth
Summary: What if Natsu wasn't with his friends when Mavis saved them from Achnologia on Tenrou Island? What if he survived the encounter and lived those 7 years? What would happen with Fairy Tail, Fiore and the World as a whole? Watch as Natsu Dragneel finally shows his true colors and takes the world by storm. AU, VeryPowerful!Natsu, Older!Natsu, Natsu x Ultear
1. Chapter 1 : Tenrou Island

== Summary

What if Natsu wasn't with his friends when Mavis saved them from Achnologia on Tenrou Island? What if he survived the encounter and lived those 7 years? What would happen with Fairy Tail, Fiore and the World as a whole? AU, VeryPowerful!Natsu, Older!Natsu, Natsu x Ultear

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey there guys! This idea came to mind after I discovered the 7 years' time skip, and thought, hey what if Natsu wasn't frozen with the others for all those years? What will happen to Fiore, the Guild and the Magic world as a whole with him still around? So yeah, expect a big AU from this. After all fanfiction is all about changing things. (For, I really don't like when people tend to follow the canon nearly word for word, even when it's a time travel! What's the point in time travel if you are scared to change anything? Anyway, my story isn't a time travel, but you see my point. Expect a different Natsu from this ;) Enjoy<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

.

_**Chapter 1: Tenrou Island**_

.

They were all gathered in a circle, holding hands and hoping against hope that they could survive this madness. Achnologia raised high in the air and started to gather enormous amounts of magic in his mouth. His last breath attack that would surely end the lives of the most powerful mages of Fairy Tail.

Suddenly the flow of time started to slow down, almost getting to a stop. They started to panic from the strange occurrence and were at a loss of what to do. The air in the center of their circle started to shimmer and a white silhouette materialized before them.

"Mavis Vermillion!" the master of the guild exclaimed not believing his eyes. How could she be here? She was dead, for a long time now.

"Makarov, you've become old." was the first thing out of her mouth.

"Mavis! What...?"

"There is no time, Makarov. I can help you, I can save you; but it will come with a price."

"What...what are you talking about? What price?"

"You'll discover the consequences when the time comes. But still, I can't do it alone. I'll need your powers as well as time."

"We can lend you our power! We have plenty of it!" Natsu cried out.

"What about the _time ?" _Lucy asked already dreading the answer.

"Achnologia must be distracted. His breath has to be slowed for at least a dozen of seconds." For a small moment, all of their hearts stopped beating, constructing on themselves from the pain that those words brought them. All of them knew the meaning of this: a sacrifice.

.

But that little moment of hesitation was ended by Makarov, who disengaged his left hand from Mirajane and started to release his right, when the hold on it tightened to almost a painful grip even for one of the Ten Wizard Saints; the glare he received from Natsu made him flinch from the intensity of it.

"Natsu..."

"No, Gramps. No..." Makarov shook his head and tried to speak but was again interrupted by the pink haired young man. "I'll do it!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Natsu! You're young, have all your life before you, and I am the Master; protecting you is my duty!"

Natsu released Lucy and Makarov's hands and pushed both of them away. "_**You**_ don't be ridiculous! A man cannot stand against a Dragon! Only a Dragon can fight a Dragon!" he exclaimed fire suddenly engulfing his hands.

"Natsu!" "Brat!" "Salamander!" were the cries of Gray, Laxus and Gajeel. "Shut it, all of you! None of you can stand a chance against him, whereas I'm all fired up!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Natsu. You'll d-.."

"Makarov, I can no longer maintain it." Mavis said in a monotonous voice, interrupting any that still wanted to protest. As suddenly as it slowed, time started again and a deafening roar could be heard in the distance. "Push your magic outward. I'll do the rest." she continued in the same tone, not paying attention to the turmoil in all of their hearts.

.

"Natsu!" Makarov exclaimed elongating his arm to catch the Dragon Slayer before he did something stupid. But just as he wanted to touch the boy, a heat unlike any other exploded from Natsu, causing him to retract his hand by reflex.

"There is a technique I can use! You've never seen it, but you'll love it!" he cried out turning around to face them for the last time. Tears were freely falling from his eyes, but his smile still held strong. "I love you guys!" he said with a sad smile filled with unbreakable resolve. And then turning away he propelled himself toward the Dragon of the Apocalypse using his fire.

"Natsu!" Erza cried out leaving the circle of friends. But just as she made a step forward, Makarov caught her by the hand and tugged her back.

"It's too late Erza, let him do it, let him save us! Believe in Natsu, all of you! He never let us down and today isn't an exception!" the Master had tears in his eyes as he proclaimed that.

A second later all of them chorused a loud "Yes!" and started to push all their magic toward the floating figure of the first Master of Fairy Tail.

.

With every second, Natsu approached the great Dragon, his fire propelling him to incredible heights. And just as he arrived at the same level as the flying Achnologia, his fire completely vanished, as if extinguished by an unseen force. The Dragon Slayer hovered in the air, his momentum still carrying him higher.

'This is it... I'll finally use the technique, Igneel! I hope it's as powerful as you promised it would be, old lizard, or I'll kick your ass once we meet in the afterlife!' Natsu then bumped his fists together and concentrated everything he had between them: his magic, his emotions, and his life-force. And as on cue, the King of Dragons launched his breath attack.

Back with the rest of Fairy Tail wizards still on the ground, cries of fear and despair could be heard. "Natsu!" Then they heard him...

.

"**Secret Dragon Slayer Art:** **Supernova**!" and just as the name, the wizard exploded not unlike a star, illuminating the skies all around. The light was so strong that it blinded everyone for a few seconds, and when they could finally see, their eyes widened in shock. Achnologia's breath attack was stopped in midair by a giant sphere of crimson flames and Natsu's silhouette could be seen in the center.

As the pink haired Dragon Slayer looked back to his friends, he grimaced when he saw that the barrier wasn't still ready; his powers were leaving him at an outstanding rate and he wouldn't be able to retain the Dragon for much longer. 'Hurry up guys!'

Suddenly the Dragon King launched another deafening roar and the power behind his attack skyrocketed. Natsu was violently pushed back by the force and he screamed in agony when the destructive breath finally struck him. It was like his very being was torn apart, muscle by muscle, cell by cell...

With an ultimate push of his will, he restrained the attack for a few mere seconds despite the agony, but then, even his unbreakable will was shattered in thousands of pieces and he finally succumbed to the inevitable fate.

Finally with nothing restraining it anymore, the deadly breath approached the island, but it was already too late; Natsu Dragneel had done his job right, and his friends had already disappeared from the battlefield.

The final attack of the Dragon of the Apocalypse destroyed what reminded of the Tenrou Island and the resting place of Mavis Vermillion was no more...

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

"...tsu! ..at...! Nat...! Natsu!" He started to regain some sort of consciousness but the agonizing pain he felt all over his body just wouldn't let him move even his eyelids.

"I don't think that he can hear you. Look at him, he seems nearly dead. I don't understand how he is still alive in this state."

"His will power... I don't know what Zeref wanted with him, but I think I'm starting to see..."

"What do you mean?"

"You've seen it yourself; he took an attack from Achnologia head on and not only slowed it down but survived. He is no ordinary wizard, and I'm starting to see that."

Natsu willed his body to move, something, anything... He was alive? How could it be? If he was alive, his friends shouldn't be too far away...

"Ul! Look! He moved his fingers!"

"Natsu! Natsu, don't worry! You'll be alright. I...I think I know now what I should do..."

The Dragon Slayer finally opened one of his eyes and the light blinded him for a moment. He could see a female silhouette hovering over him, a somewhat familiar silhouette.

"Natsu, don't try to move, your injures are very bad!"

And finally he recognized the silhouette, "Ultear..." he muttered before succumbing to darkness.

.

.

**AN: And here it is guys! Natsu is alive, and is not alone. What will happened to Fiore with him around for seven years? Hehe wait and see. I hope you liked it despite the short chapter, so please review! **

**Zegeth**


	2. Chapter 2 : 7 years later

**AN: Hey there guys! First off, thanks all of you for following and favoring this story; and of course for the wonderful reviews! I really appreciate that and am happy that you liked what I wrote.  
>There is something funny actually. The last few months I searched a fic with Natsu staying for the seven years of the time skip and found nothing; and just when I got desperate and wrote one myself, I found one. It's called: The Tenrou Group Lives On By ValinNight. I actually haven't read it, and probably wouldn't for a while. Too late! Haha! Anyway, why I'm saying this is that if by any chance, you've read it and it has some similarities with mine, that's purely accidental; I'm copying no one.<br>Alright, here is the chapter you were waiting for. It's a bit longer than the first and hopefully to your liking. :) **

**.============.**

**Chapter 2: Seven years later**

.

.

"Are you sure it's a wise thing to go there without them?" Ren asked with a frown appearing on his face.

"We aren't sure about all this, and I don't want to give Natsu another false hope. Not again." Ichiya replied in an unusually serious voice.

"We're here, boss!" Hibiki exclaimed from the front of their flying boat.

"I don't see anything. Are you sure it's here?" Ren looked around narrowing his eyes.

"Wait...I...I can smell something..." the leader of The Trimens whispered. Suddenly the surface of the water started to move, as if something was trying to come out of it. "What the...?!" The ripples were getting stronger and stronger when a massive sphere came out of the water, causing all their eyes to widen. A part of Tenrou Island was actually enclosed in that sphere!

"Is that...?"

"Yes, this is Tenrou Island." Ichiya replied still under shock. "Achnologia's breath attack should have razed everything but yet it's still here! Natsu was right! Something protected them; I'm sure they're alive! Let's go boys!"

"Hey! I'm here too!" was Jenny's cry of outrage.

.============.

"So, you're telling me that the alliance was searching for us for all those years?" Makarov still couldn't believe that he along with his kids had stayed in stasis for seven years! Mavis had really saved them from the Dragon of the Apocalypse, and now they had to pay the price. Was **time** their price?

"Well, at first yes, but after searching all around for a few months, only Blue Pegasus and Fairy Tail continued to search for you." Hibiki continued.

"Natsu-san refused to stop, proclaiming that all of you were still alive. And he was right, wasn't he?" Eve said with a smile.

"N-Natsu...?!" whispered Erza, her eyes widening.

"Natsu is alive?!" Lucy exclaimed suddenly, losing her cool.

"Ah, yes, I remember that he was injured when he returned; a battle against Achnologia... Yes, he is alive, my friends!" Ichiya supplied with a charming, at least for him, smile.

"NATSUUU! I'm coming!" Happy cried out, streams of tears falling from his eyes.

"Calm down, Happy. We're all going home. But tell me, how is Fairy Tail, how is Natsu?" Makarov asked, a great weight being lifted from his shoulders. Natsu had saved them, and he even survived! Seven years of life was a meager price to pay for such a miracle.

.

"Oh, Fairy Tail has changed a little bit. Some new members, a new master; you see the picture." Ren said with a smirk.

"Hm, I'm sure Natsu is still the same old Natsu. He wouldn't change for anything." Gray supplied with a smirk of his own. "Wait! Does that mean that he's older than us now!?" he exclaimed suddenly.

"That would be correct." Eve was smiling, already imagining their reaction upon seeing the pink haired Dragon Slayer.

"Oh, Natsu-sama will be so happy to see you all!" Jenny exclaimed suddenly, her own excitement getting the better of her.

"Natsu-...sama?" Erza asked a frown appearing on her beautiful face.

"Why the sudden honorifics?" Gray asked, suddenly remembering another girl with such quirks, a certain Juvia... "Do you like him or something?"

"Of course I do! Everyone likes him! He is so strong, handsome and so cool! How couldn't I like him?!" Jenny replied, hearts appearing in her eyes.

"Euh...are we really talking about the same Salamander?" Gajeel asked with a snort, trying with all his might to fight his motion sickness.

"Salamander? Oh you mean his old moniker? Now he goes by Phoenix!" Jenny continued with a beaming smile.

"What? From hearing this, you'd think that he isn't the same." Gray asked a frown appearing on his face.

.

"Well he hasn't changed that much. But you have to understand that even for Natsu, seven years without all of you, and with nothing to assure him of your survival, were very hard." Ichiya explained with a suddenly serious face. "We all tried to help like we could, be it wasn't enough."

"What do you mean?" Mirajane asked with concern in her eyes. Had something bad happened to their always smiling Dragon Slayer?

"Oh, Mirajane! Already trying to snatch my price as soon as you returned, huh? I'm Miss Fiore now, and forever! I'll never lose to you again! And Natsu-sama is mine!"

"What...?" was the only thing the white haired beauty could utter in astonishment. What was she talking about?

"Jenny, I think you're going a little overboard. And I remind you that you have no chance against _**her**_." Ren said with a smirk and shake of head.

"Her?" Lucy asked pointing toward Mira.

"No, _**her**_." Ren replied turning toward the horizon. As if it could answer their question, the Fairy Tail wizards turned toward the horizon, too, but the answer never came.

'What happened in our absence...?' Makarov thought, a bit of dread forming in his mind.

.============.

When the flying boat stopped in midair and started to hover, they understood that they were finally home. Without wasting time, all of them descended to the ground only to stare in amazement and surprise. Their old guild building was in nothing like they remembered. It was gigantic, majestic and seemed brand new. A giant castle in the middle of Magnolia, with enormous double doors with the Fairy Tail insignia.

"What...happened to the guild?" Makarov muttered, being the first out of shock.

"Oh, the new master decided to do a few changes, here and there." Hibiki replied with a knowing smirk.

"Here and there? The whole freaking thing is new!" Gray exclaimed.

"Juvia agrees with Gray-sama, the new building is a little overwhelming."

"Let's get inside, children." Makarov said, and Laxus with Gajeel opened the big doors and led the rest inside.

Their entry was met with silence, as every person in the hall stopped doing whatever they were doing and stared at them.

"Yo!" Gray said with a wave, and suddenly everyone frozen until now sprung to their feet and ran toward them.

"You're back! I can't believe it!"

"Levy! Oh my god you haven't aged at all!" Jet exclaimed as he jumped toward the blue haired girl, giving her a bear hug.

"Move it, idiot!" Droi said pushing his teammate to the side without difficulty.

"D-Droi! What happened to you!?" Levy asked her eyes widening. Her old teammate was very tall and had on a bulky build with muscles rippling all over his body.

"Well, at first I started to fatten from all the food I ate, but with Natsu's help, I turned all that energy into something useful." he replied doing a few ridiculous poses. " Ain't am cool?!" he continued with a grin. The Script mage could only smile at their antics. They hadn't changed at all.

.

"I'm so happy! All of you are back! If only Master was here." Laki said with a smile, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Makarov! Euh...Master...? Hm...Old man!" Macao exclaimed, not really knowing how to call the old wizard. "You're finally back!"

"What's with all the hesitation?" the older Dreyar asked with a frown.

"Well, we had had a new Master for the past seven years, so yeah, it feels a bit strange." Macao elaborated.

"What he isn't saying is that, Macao is actually Master's counselor!" Wakaba supplied with a smirk.

"What the hell happened in our absence?" Gray whispered shaking his head.

"Ichiya-san, so they were there this time!" a new voice entered the group. "Thank you for helping us all those years!"

"Ah! Meredy-chan, my beautiful flower!" the orange haired wizard replied with his usual _charming_ smile. "You guarded the secrecy I presume?"

"Yes, he knows nothing about it, but will be ecstatic once he finds out." the pink haired mage continued. "Welcome back to Fairy Tail!" she then exclaimed opening her arms wide.

"M-Meredy...!? What are you doing here? Is...Is that the Fairy Tail mark on your shoulder?!" Gray was astonished to find her here and a member no less.

"Many things happened in your absence, Gray. And not all for the worst if I say so myself!" Macao said with a smirk.

"Natsu-nii will be so happy!" a boy suddenly exclaimed.

"Romeo!? How you've grown! Incredible!" Lucy was smiling her eyes wide in wonder.

.

"Bisca! Alzack! I'm so happy to see you!" Mirajane hugged the both of them and continued with a sly smile. "So, have you finally decided to date?"

"Actually, we're married." was Alzack's simple answer.

"M-Married?!" Erza was staring at them with a red face.

"Then you've made many kids!" Makarov continued with a perverted grin.

"Well, I don't know about many kids, but we have a daughter." Bisca replied waving behind her, and a little girl approached them shyly. "Her name is Asuka; say hello dear."

"Hello." she whispered and shyly stepped behind her mother.

"Oh, she is so cute!" Mirajane had a warm smile on her face.

"Let's sit for a bit, I'm feeling drowsy from all those news. And where is Natsu?" Makarov asked once they were seated and had a few drinks.

"Uncle Natsu is on a mission!" Asuka said suddenly, but when all the attention was diverted to her, she blushed and hid behind her hands.

"Uncle Natsu now? Hn...well he aged after all, so that was inevitable." Gray sighed; his rival was now older than him, and he didn't know what to think.

"Hey Laxus, he is even older than you now! Ghaha!" Gajeel snorted with a smirk.

"Shut up! He was and will always be a brat!"

.

"Speaking of Natsu, he should be back soon." Wakaba said out of the blue.

"How is he?" Makarov whispered, leaning toward the Purple Flame mage.

"He has changed. Your _death_ really hurt him a lot. Even with all of us still by his side, there was still an emptiness in him. After years it was finally filled."

"Filled by whom?" the third Master asked, and to answer Macao only nodded to the side.

"Meredy?" Makarov asked surprised, watching the laughing girl who was talking with the members

"Among a few others." Macao replied. "He worked his ass off to make sure that Fairy Tail stayed on the top, and without him I don't think that we would have survived all those years."

"That's Natsu for you." the older man smiled. "What about her? How did she finish with us?"

"Oh she isn't the only new member. Fairy Tail is still the best guild in Fiore, now more than ever. And with all of you back, our fame will only increase."

"I can see that money is no longer a problem."

"Ah yes, Fairy Tail is the most sought after guild in Fiore; missions literally overflow us!"

"I see. What about this new Mast-..."

.

Suddenly the doors were opened and a man and a woman entered.

"Master! Master is back!" someone suddenly cried out.

"Na-chan!" Meredy exclaimed and launched herself toward the man. He caught her with ease and twirled her around, a beaming smile appearing on his handsome face. And that's only then that the rest of the guild finally saw the man.

He was tall, with broad shoulders, wearing a gray shirt with black trousers, a black trench-coat covering the ensemble. A white scaled scarf was rolled around his neck emphasizing his vibrant pink hair.

"Natsu..." Erza whispered her eyes widening.

Upon hearing his name despite it being barely audible, the young man turned toward her.

"Erza?!" he cried out his eyes widening in shock. It was not possible! How could she be here? Then he looked around and his eyes widened even more. "Everyone...You're back…"

Tears started to form in his eyes and a beaming smile formed on his face. "Guys..." he said again and not a second later he was engulfed in a group hug, most of them smiling with a few crying in happiness.

Even if Ichiya had said that he was alive, seeing him standing here in all his Dragon Slaying glory was very moving. The guild was finally complete.

"Welcome back, Master."

"Thank you, Laki." Natsu said with a smile still tightly holding the now smaller Erza.

"Why I'm not surprised?" Makarov muttered with a smile. "Natsu of all people. Seems like you did a great job, _Master_."

"I only filled the role until your return, gramps." the pink haired young man replied with his usual face splitting grin.

"Very few people can make him smile like this, ain't am right, Ultear?" Macao interjected suddenly with a knowing smile.

Upon hearing him, the entire guild finally turned toward the woman, ignored until now. Ultear Milkovich stood there with a charming smile adorning her beautiful face. "Yes, Macao." she replied simply.

Gray's eyes widened for the umpteenth time this day as he watched the daughter of his teacher, smile warmly at them. But then he actually remarked that she wasn't smiling at them, but at the pink haired Dragon Slayer. What was going on?

.

"Hey Ul-chan, you're the only one that hasn't hugged me yet!" Natsu said with a devilish smile on his face. Then, he burst into flames and disappeared from the circle of his friends and not a second later reappeared behind the young woman, enveloping her in a hug. The surprise of his new technique still on their mind, nothing prepared them for what came after. Ultear turned around, still enveloped in his arms and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

A few whistles and cat-calls could be heard in the background, but the Tenrou Island group stayed there frozen in place, speechless.

"That's more like cheating, but that's beside the point." Natsu said, his new smile literally illuminating the guild hall. "What got into you guys; never seen people kissing in front of you or what?" he continued, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Did-...did she just kiss Natsu?" asked a flustered Erza, pointing her finger toward the said woman.

"What is it Scarlet, jealous are we?" Mirajane asked in an unusually sly tone.

"W-what...N-no! I...I..."

"Hey! Is that what I think it is?!" Gray exclaimed suddenly pointing his finger toward Natsu.

"What?"

"The Ten Wizard Saint's brooch!"

.============.

.

**AN: I hope you liked it! Finally they are back and the real story can begin. Please review! In the next chapter you'll see the changes triggered by Natsu.**


	3. Chapter 3 : Allies

**AN: Hey there guys! First of all, thank you all for following this story! I'm astounded with the response this story has generated. More than 100 follows and fav's, and around forty reviews for only two short chaps. I'm very happy to say the least!  
>Secondly, I want to make things clear, this story will not be a harem. It's only NatsuUltear. As for Meredy, like to Ultear, will be Natsu's daughter figure.  
>Finally about Jellal; I'm not a fan of the guy so no Jerza in this story, sorry. I will not be bashing him though; he will have an important role when the time comes, so yeah.<br>This chapter is as long as the first two put together ;-) (For your information, I can write much longer chapters but for personal reasons, I'll go with the flow, so the lengths will vary.)  
>Hope you like it!<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**.**

**Chapter 3: Allies**

**.**

.

"What?!" was the common cry of surprise. Natsu being the Master of Fairy Tail was one thing, but for him being a Wizard Saint was of a completely different level of news.

"When did you get that, Salamander?" Gajeel asked a frown appearing on his face. His rival Dragon Slayer had completely left him behind in terms of power, and he was more than anxious to test himself against the pink haired young man.

"It has only been a few years." Natsu replied with a grin. "What is it? Jealous?" he asked his grin widening.

And just as the Iron Slayer was going to reply, he was cut short.

"Hey flame breath! Fight me!" Gray exclaimed suddenly approaching his rival.

"How did you call me, stripper?" Dragneel replied, head-butting with the younger mage. The action brought back nostalgic feelings and many were warmly smiling at their antics. After a few seconds of a starring contest, Natsu finally continued. "Sorry, but I have to decline."

"What...?!" Gray was frozen speechless from that answer. Since when did Natsu let pass a fight? And he wasn't alone; the others were staring at the fourth Master with wonder in their eyes.

"Why the hell not?!"

"None of you are really in a condition to fight right now. If I'm going to fight, I want you in your best form." Natsu replied with a very serious aura around him. "For, what is the fun in fighting cripples..." he finished with a face splitting grin.

"What did you say, brat?!" Laxus stepped forward, lightning flashing around his arms.

"Exactly what you heard, brat." the pink haired young man replied with a devilish smile. "I'm older than you now, don't forget that."

Tightening his fists, the Lightning Dragon Slayer took another step toward the new Master. "A few years of training hasn't changed anything, I still can easily kick your ass, Salamander!"

A hand suddenly gripped his shoulder, and the young Dreyar stopped in his tracks. "Don't be so sure of yourself. Something is off with him."

"Gildarts?! What are you talking about?"

The said man frowned. He had known Natsu for as long as he remembered, and his magic should have been very familiar; yet, the aura that the Fire Dragon Slayer gave out, was very different. Something had changed in him, and the Crash Mage was embarrassed to admit, that it frightened him a bit. Which was a really difficult task to accomplish if you asked him...

As if knowing about his rummaging, Natsu grinned with a predatory smile. A smile that spelled trouble.

"Do as he said; rest and then fight with all you've got. I'm sure he isn't a Wizard Saint for nothing." the Crash Mage continued, his easygoing smile coming back.

"That goes for you as well, Gildarts." Natsu said suddenly. "I still want my rematch."

"Well, I can't say that I'm not interested in seeing where you stand by myself." the older man replied.

"Alright, now that's settled, Laki, Macao, please show everyone the new guild. As you've seen all, the building is quite large, and accommodations were made for everyone. Of course if you prefer to buy a house, that's your choice, but for now, get yourself comfortable." Natsu explained. "As for you, Gramps, we have many things to discuss. Ul-chan, would you kindly?"

With a nod, Makarov followed the Time Mage. Meredy and Gildarts were not far behind.

"He sure has grown..." Lucy whispered, following the fourth Master with her eyes.

"Oh, you have no idea." Macao said with a smile. "Let's go people, I'll show you around."

.

The pink haired young man then walked toward the Blue Pegasus members with a smile. "Ichiya, thank you for this, and everything you and your guild have done for us during all those years. You can't imagine how happy I am that they survived and that you found them. Again, thank you."

"Don't worry, Natsu. What are friends for?" Ichiya replied in a suddenly serious voice.

"That's right, Natsu-sama! All the pleasure is ours. We are happy to help!" Jenny exclaimed with a beaming smile. "But, there is a way you can repay us!" she continued, a mischievous glint appearing in her eyes.

"Oh, here she goes at it again..." Ren muttered shaking his head.

"By taking the Miss Fiore to a date!" she exclaimed pointing a finger toward herself.

"You're particularly beautiful today, Jenny-chan." Natsu said with a charming smile.

"B-B-Beautiful..." the young blonde whispered with a silly smile and glazing eyes, her face taking on a crimson tint.

"You're really irrecoverable..." Eve said with a grin. That remark shaking her from her daze, her eyes widened and she looked around; there was no sign of Natsu.

"It's funny; you're Miss Fiore and one of the most sought out women in the country, you receive prize and admiration whenever you go and take it in stride, yet, a small compliment from him and you fall head over hills. That's beyond me." Ren explained with another shake of his head.

"Shut up! You're just jealous!"

.#######.

As Gildarts closed the door behind him, Natsu sat down behind his desk and turned toward them. The Master office was really large and many sofas littered the ground around the table. After everyone was seated, Natsu produced an exhausted sigh, causing the two older wizards to raise their brows.

"As you surely know, many things have changed in those years. There is much to tell." he began.

"First of all, Natsu, tell us what happened directly after Tenrou, and then we'll go from there." Makarov proposed. The young man sighed again and as if knowing what was transpiring in his mind, the two girls stood up.

"Na-chan..." After a nod from her mother figure, Meredy approached the young Master and sitting beside him, engulfed him in a hug. A smile replacing his previous frown, he ruffled her hair and turned toward his guild mates, his mind now ate ease.

"Um, Natsu... Isn't she a little too young even for you?" Gildarts asked with an awkward smile. The Crash Mage was a known womanizer himself, but seeing the two pink haired mages together like that… Just as he finished that sentence, the temperature in the room literally skyrocketed and a dark aura appeared around the pink haired young man.

" She-Is-My-Daughter!" he whispered, but despite that, his voice resonated as if he was shouting. The eyes of the two older wizards widened in shock. Meredy was smilingly looking up to the Dragon Slayer with adoration in her eyes. There was love in those eyes, but it wasn't what Gildarts firstly thought it was. For reasons unknown to him, his mind was put at ease.

Then as suddenly as it appeared, the heavy atmosphere disappeared, making them release the breaths they didn't know they were holding.

"Hehe...Well, isn't that wonderful?" Gildarts continued with a grin. "And who is the mother?"

As if to answer his question, a beaming smile appeared on the Dragon Slayer's face, and his eyes glanced to the right. Following his gaze they came upon a blushing Ultear, desperately trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Well, isn't all this very interesting?" Makarov stated with a perverted grin.

"Not as wonderful as a Fairytale..."

.######.

.

Slowly, he opened his eyelids and groaned in pain. His whole body was still hurting. Still…? His eyes suddenly widened as the memories flashed in his head. Tenrou, Zeref, Achnologia… Moving his right arm he tried to use it as leverage but upon putting a little force on them, he let escape a scream of pain and fell back to the bed. Clutching his sore limb he clenched his teeth in frustration. That damn dragon had really gone all out on his ass.

Suddenly the doors were opened and two people rushed in. He recognized them; his enemies from Grimoire Heart. "Natsu, don't move, you're still hurt. You'll reopen all the stitches." The older of the two said in a calm voice.

"What are you doing here?! Where are my friends?" Natsu exclaimed with a frown.

"We…don't you remember? We healed you after your fight with Achnologia. Well, you weren't completely conscious at the time but-…"

"Where are my friends and what are you doing _**here**_?!" the young man repeated stubbornly.

"Hey! Don't talk to Ultear like that! She saved your life!" the pink haired girl butted in. She got a deathly glare in return from the Dragon Slayer, making her cower a bit.

"Meredy, that's enough." Her mother figure continued still in a calm voice. "But like I said, we're here because we healed you. As for your friends, I'm sorry, but they're gone."

"Gone where?! They wouldn't leave me alone like that!"

"Dead…" Natsu's eyes widened for the second time but they narrowed after only a second.

"Bullshit! They aren't dead! Mavis protected them! She said she would! So I ask you for the last time; where are my friends?"

"I already said it, your friends are dead. Achnologia's last attack completely destroyed Tenrou Island. That place no longer exists. I don't know how you survived that, but we fetched you in the water." The Time Mage explained with a sad expression. With every passing second of her tale, Natsu's face would contort in anger. And just as she finished he rose from the bed and stood up. Despite his stumbling he maintained a serious face.

"I don't believe you. You're from Grimoire Heart; that damned Guild that started all of this mess! Leave me alone and don't come in my way, or you'll regret it!" He said with fury and stormed from the room, breaking down the door on his way.

"Hey! Wait you-…"

"Leave him be, for now, Meredy." Ultear said putting her hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "I haven't thought that helping someone would be so difficult." She continued with a sigh. "I have still so much to learn…"

.

.########.

.

Stumbling through the streets, the bandaged Natsu approached the harbor. People were looking at him with curious eyes, some recognizing him, some with indifference. Finally the Dragon Slayer approached a man that was calmly washing his small boat.

"Hey you!" he said with force, clutching his aching arm.

"W-what?! Oh! What can I do for you?" the old man asked with a smile, despite being startled just a moment ago.

"Bring me to Tenrou Island!"

"What…? I...I don't think it's wise to go there after, you know, what happened there…"

"I said bring me there!" the pink haired young man exclaimed taking a hold of the man's collar. "My friends were on that island!"

"Mr.…?"

"Natsu Dragneel. I'm from Fairy Tail!"

"Mr. Dragneel-…"

"I said now!" Natsu cried out a little fire escaping from his body, and frightening a few bystanders. The old man nodded vigorously and detached the boat.

.#########.

He couldn't believe his eyes. Nothing remained from Tenrou Island but only pieces of earth floating in the water. The Dragon of the Apocalypse had really destroyed the sanctuary and his friends were…they were no more. Tears flowed from his eyes as he cried in rage and anguish. Why had something like this happened? Mavis Vermillion had promised to save them! She had used their power; he had even sacrificed himself to buy them time. But all that was for nothing…

.#########.

Ultear winced as she saw Natsu stumble from the boat and nearly crumble to the ground. It was no longer his injuries that crushed him, no, this time it was his grief. She could see it; she could feel it seeping from him like a wave of death, not unlike the Dark Mage Zeref. He was in pain yes, but the anger was overflowing, making her uneasy. Maybe it wasn't that good of an idea to come here now…

As if feeling her stare, his gaze met hers. The fury inside him suddenly intensified and he pointed his hand toward her. "YOU! All of this is your fault! You and your dark guild!"

"Natsu…"

"Don't speak to me like we're friends! You're my enemy and maybe if I had fought your guild like I should have, none of this would have happened!"

"What are you-…?"

"Shut up! I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you! And then I'll find that Zeref guy and kill him too!" Natsu cried out with rage, his eyes were wide and his breath was ragged. Fire was slowly starting to sip out of him.

Ultear's eyes narrowed with this new prospect on things. He had threatened her and Meredy, and she would never let him do anything to her daughter, even if she had to kill him herself. So much for trying to help the Dragon Slayer…

Suddenly Natsu cried out in rage and bounced toward her. The speed with which he arrived upon her surprised her, and she barely had the time to jump to the side to escape his vicious strike. The explosion of fire that followed produced screams of terror from the bystanders as they fled for their lives. With a wave of her hand her time sphere appeared and deflected the jet of fire that intended to burn her alive. Narrowing her eyes she again jumped backward and escaped the Dragon Slayer's crushing blow that cracked the ground on its impact. When he suddenly started to inhale big portions of air, her eyes widened and she raised both of her hands and concentrated on her Arc of Time magic. Just as she imagined the dragon roar attack arrived upon her within seconds but her defense magic absorbed the fire. She wasn't the leader of the Seven Kin of Purgatory for nothing; she could handle a Dragon Slayer.

As if frustrated by his unsuccessful attacks this fury she felt from the pink haired young man doubled in intensity and he started to fight with even more ferocity. Each of his attacks were getting stronger, and were coming dangerously closer of reaching her. What surprised her even more was that he wasn't even using any incantations before launching his spells. It wasn't something impossible but still extremely difficult; at least Master level of control over one's magic.

.

Absorbing Natsu's Dragon wing attack, she launched one of her own, finally starting to counterattack. The sphere traveled the distance between them in the blink of an eye and hurled her enemy toward one of the many houses on the street. The force behind the attack was so great that he literately went through the walls before crumbling to the ground. Not letting him get a second of respite, she struck again pummeling him with a dozen of her spheres before finally sending him flying in the distance. Just as he fell to the ground, she was again upon him, methodically delivering punches and hits on his already bruised body. As he finally crumbled from the onslaught she breathed a sigh of relief.

That relief was short-lived though, as a tremor suddenly went through the pink haired young man. Not knowing what was happening she jumped a safe distance away and glanced toward Meredy that was watching their fight as per her orders. Slowly, Natsu stood up without any struggle, as if not feeling his injuries and raising his head toward the sky screamed in a powerful beast-like voice. Just as she was thinking about what to do, the Dragon Slayer's body was engulfed in ragging flames and she could literally feel the heat even from that distance. His pupils were gone and only a white sclera could be seen, his muscles were bulging from the strain and scale like protrusions started to cover his body. Great quantities of magic seeped from him in waves making her eyes widen in surprise. How could he produce so much magic, without even speaking about his ability to stand in his current state? What was going on?

Just as she thought that, Natsu blurred from sight and not a second later an incredibly powerful punch to her abdomen sent her flying through a few houses. Without leaving her time to take a breath, a kick to her face propelled her even further, creating even greater wreckage. After wiping the blood from her face she pointed her hands toward the approaching Dragon Slayer and used Arc of Time on him; her eyes widened when his form only _**slowed**_ under her spell, and when he was just a few yards, his extended fist exploded and a giant fire Dragon propelled itself toward her, razing everything on its path.

"Ice Make: Dahlias!" she cried out and a gigantic rose made from pink colored ice formed before her like a shield. The fire attack slammed on her strongest defensive magic like the beast it represented and she slid a few dozen yards from the force. Her rose cracked and crumbled to the ground, but it had done its job, it had protected her from harm.

Snarling in frustration herself, she pointed her hands toward the now standing still Dragon Slayer and exclaimed: "Ice Make: Bloom!" The ground of the battlefield was torn apart when giant rose roots exploded all around her. As the deadly attack approached the Fairy Tail mage, he stayed there, unmoving. And just before he was engulfed in ice, a great shockwave of fire escaped from him evaporating the spell.

All of a sudden, the fire around his right hand intensified and its color started to pass from orange to white. Even at the distance she was from the pink haired young man, she could feel the heat burning her skin. Just as he propelled himself toward her, creating a large crater on his wake, she launched the strongest spell in her arsenal: Ice Make: Rosen Krone! But Natsu laterally tore through her ice roots as if they weren't even there and with a beast-like roar caught her by the neck.

The heat coming from his now burning in white flames hand was rapidly burning her skin away, her clothes were melting just from the heat and his grip on her throat was swiftly squeezing the life from her. His furious expression was still present as he slowly strangled her to death. She couldn't struggle, she couldn't fight. The pain was unbearable. This was the end…

And just as she though that she was going to die and leave Meredy alone, again, the now beast-like man before her cried out in pain, and released her from his clutches. Stumbling back a few steps, he clutched his head and roared again, his magic intensifying the sound and breaking the remaining windows. He trashed and waved his hands around, creating destructive flames on their wake.

Trying to regain her breathing despite her damaged throat, she coughed blood on her hand and a gleam caught her attention. As she turned her hand around she saw a familiar mark on it: The Maguilty Sense. Her eyes widening she raised her head and glanced toward the Dragon Slayer from her position on the ground and saw the same mark on his forehead…

"Meredy…" she whispered with a sad smile before losing consciousness.

.

.##########.

"I don't like it. I don't like it one bit."

"What is it, Macao?" Wakaba asked with a frown to his restless friend.

"They should be back from Tenrou by now. Why is it taking so much time? I'm starting to feel a little uneasy."

"Don't worry; with all the strongest from the guild, what could possibly happen to them?"

"Yeah, you're right. But still-…" suddenly the doors were opened, cutting the Purple Flame mage in his musings. "Ah! Finally you're bac-…"

But the people that entered weren't his guild-mates. Two persons engulfed in long black cloaks entered the guild, and slowly levitating behind them was…

"Natsu!?" Macao cried out rushing toward the unconscious Dragon Slayer. "What happened to him?!" he asked turning toward the two strangers.

"Who are you?" Wakaba continued, getting in a fighting stance. The atmosphere suddenly felt heavier.

"We're fri-….allies." one of the strangers said. Despite the creaking voice, it sounded female.

"If you're allies, why the hell is he in this state?!" Macao exclaimed pointing toward Natsu.

"We saved and healed him. He is the only one that survived the attack that destroyed Tenrou Island." The woman continued.

"What!? D-Destroyed?! Survived? What bullshit are you saying?!" Wakaba said his eyes wide. Their interaction having attracted attention, a few other members from the Guild were approaching them with curious eyes.

"Like I said, your guild-mates are dead. The Dragon of the Apocalypse Achnologia attacked the island and after fighting him, Natsu Dragneel was the only one to survive the confrontation." The woman replied. "You should treat him rapidly. We did all we could, but a few…complications arose and now he is in a coma like state."

"I…I don't believe you! You're lying!" Macao was panicking. Now their absence made sense. If they were-….NO! All this was a lie!

Feeling the now dangerous atmosphere, the two strangers slowly stepped back, getting ready in case of attack. "We're allies! There is no need to fight!"

Suddenly, the doors were opened for the second time and a battalion of Rune Knights lead by two men entered the guild hall.

"Greetings, Fairy Tail mages. I'm Lahar and this Doranbolt, and we're Rune Knights. This is our contingent."

"Hey! I know you!" Macao exclaimed pointing his finger toward Doranbolt. "You're supposed to be a member of this guild! What the hell does that mean?!"

"You're right. I'm sorry for deceiving you but it was my mission from the Magic Council, to infiltrate Fairy Tail and participate in the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial." The man said with a sad smile. A smile that left a sour taste in the Purple Flame Mage's heart.

"The matter at hand is that during that Trial, Tenrou Island as well as all the Fairy Tail members present at the time were attacked by the Dragon of the Apocalypse, Achnologia. Sadly, none of them sur-…"

"Dragneel?!" Doranbolt exclaimed pointing toward the pink haired man, floating behind the two cloaked strangers. "How is this possible!? He survived the last attack?!" he couldn't believe his eyes. Achnologia had annihilated everything and everyone; then how was he alive, and most of all, _**here**_, back in the guild?

"So…you were telling the truth…" Macao whispered, tears forming in his eyes. "I, thank you." He finished, bowing toward the woman.

"What is going on?" Lahar asked completely at a loss of words.

"They came just before you and informed us of the same. They said that they saved and healed Natsu before bringing him back." Wakaba replied.

"Who are you?" Doranbolt asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Allies." Was the stranger's simple answer. "We've done what we could, and now we will leave you." She continued with her raspy voice; a voice that Lahar recognized easily despite everything.

"You!" he exclaimed, a magic circle appearing before him. The two strangers jumped back and the taller of them pointed her hand toward the Rune Knight and the magic circle crumbled before everyone's eyes. As the attack failed everybody got into fighting stances and the tension escaladed at an alarming rate.

"You should be in prison with your little friend, Ultear Milkovich!" Lahar continued with a furious face. "Coming here in the open was a grave mistake!"

"I'm not here to fight, but neither will I let you capture me." The said woman replied, taking her hood off and revealing her battered state. Bandages covered her neck and bruises marred her normally unscathed beautiful face. Her state momentary surprised the assembly but they quickly readied themselves. After all, the woman before them was a once respected member of the Council, and her legendary prowess was a known fact.

"Enough…" a voice suddenly interjected. Slowly, Natsu stood up from his now lying position on the ground between the two parties.

"Natsu!" Macao exclaimed his eyes widening. But without listening to his friend, the pink haired young man turned toward the Rune Knights.

"You can leave now. You've done your job." He said in an uncharacteristically emotionless voice.

"But…! We have to stop-…"

"I said leave! You're on Fairy Tail soil, and what happens here is none of your business.

"That may be true, but she…"

"Don't make me repeat myself." Natsu whispered and the deathly aura he exuded was enough to make everyone cower in fear.

"Dragneel…"

"That's enough, Lahar. We'll leave her to them. And if something happens, it will be on their heads." Doranbolt said, putting a hand on his friends shoulder.

"Alright. We're leaving." The Rune Knight said and turning around left the building, closely followed by his contingent.

"Natsu…I…everyone…" Macao was openly crying, finally completely breaking down.

Ultear met the Dragon Slayer's cold eyes without flinching. She could feel his gaze penetrating her being, as if searching her soul for something. After a while, he sighed and his cold eyes were replaced by exhausted pain filled ones. He turned around and started to walk away, stumbling on the way.

"You'll stay in the guild, for now." He said his back still turned to them. "And no one is to touch them."

She didn't miss the order in his words, but complied nonetheless; at least for now. After a nod from her mother figure, Meredy relaxed her stance and released the breath she was holding. All this was a real mess and she didn't know what to think, but at least it was a beginning, a new beginning.

.

.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope you liked this chapter! So please review and say what you thought about it.<br>In the next one you'll see the rest of things that happened in those seven years.  
>Until next time,<strong>

**Zegeth  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 4 : Demon Slayers

**AN: Hey there guys! First of all, thank you so much for all the support! About 200 favs and follows along with seventyish reviews! I'm ecstatic and really happy that you like it. This chapter is as long as the last, which I think is quite good. Some of the questions will be answered in this one, but nothing really major. We're still in the beginning after all! Anyway, enjoy!**

.##########################.

**Chapter 4: Demon Slayers**

**.**

.

Ultear stretched in the bed and took a long breath. She laid there with closed eyes, not wanting to really wake up; not wanting to return to reality. Truth be told this wasn't even her bed, it wasn't even her friend's; oh, who was she kidding, she had no friends, but that was beside the point. What mattered was that despite all this, she hadn't slept so well for a long time. She had slept without a worry on her mind; without the constant need to think about the future. She was lost, she really didn't know what would happen in the coming days, yet, she felt elated, free…

With a resigned sigh she finally opened her eyes and sat on the bed, the covers sliding to the side and showing her curvaceous body covered by bandages, wrapping her many bruises from her fight with the Fire Dragon Slayer. Upon thinking about him a frown appeared on her beautiful face. She really didn't know what to think about the young man. What little she knew about him created an image of a brash but nice guy, not very fast of mind but in no way an idiot; and of course a powerful wizard. But the man she saw a few days ago was none of those; he had been an enraged beast with a power, which could raze cities, at his fingertips.

She was powerful in her own right, easily in the top tier of the mages in Fiore; however he had shown glimpses of his potential power and that sent chills down her spine. She would have died that day, wasn't it for Meredy. And now she was here, in a bed under the roof of the very guild that she tried to destroy less than a week ago. Oh, how easily the world changed…

.

Shaking her head she stood up only to freeze in place; the very man that plagued her thoughts was standing behind the now closed door that led to her room. His face was straight and his eyes were devoid of any emotion. Not even a speck of unease could be seen in his being as he stared at her underwear clad body. Well, to tell the truth he wasn't really looking her over, but she was sure that at the distance he was, even if he gazed only in her eyes, he still could see her not so presentable state. She was by no means ashamed of her curves, but under his intense scrutiny she was hard pressed to suppress her discomfort.

Ignoring her moment of weakness he advanced toward her and despite herself, she took a step back. Realizing her foolish mistake too late, she cursed internally and steeled herself. Her eyes took on a harsh air and a cold aura appeared around her. She wasn't weak and she sure as hell would show it.

Only a few steps away from her, the Dragon Slayer stopped and finally broke the silence. "Why did you help me?" The question was a very logical one, but she was ashamed to admit that she hadn't thought about an answer beforehand. Why had she decided to help him? She was in the right place at the right time, was the answer that came to her mind, but she knew it was a lie. Still, she said it nonetheless.

"Then why had you followed me after I left?" he asked, still in his emotionless voice. Seeing her hesitation he took another step forward and continued. "Then again, after our fight, after I nearly killed you, you still not only healed me but brought me back to my guild. I'm sure you knew that the Rune Knights were searching for you, yet you came nonetheless, putting yourself and your friend in danger. So I ask you again, why did you help me?"

Her brows furrowed as she stared at the pink haired young man in front of her. What could she say to that? She was at a loss of words. "I don't know…" she whispered finally. "I just wanted to help. Help someone in need for the first time in my miserable life!" She exclaimed despite herself. "What else do you want to hear from me?!"

"Fairy Tail is not just a guild where mages gather; Fairy Tail is before all else, a family. A family, that protects every of its members to its last breath. We would prefer to go rogue or die fighting, than to abandon our family. You helped in the destruction of our holy grounds and in the disappearance of many of our members. Yet you helped me and tried to repent yourself. We, from Fairy Tail don't discriminate people, and their past stays in their past." He said with a serious face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't know what to say. "If you want to help, you can stay and assist us in protecting the Guild until all of _**them**_ return." He finished and turning around started to walk away.

"What? But…they're dea-…" she began, making him stop in his tracks.

"They'll come back one day, I'm sure of it. After all, she said she would protect them, and the dead don't lie." He replied and walked to the door. Opening it he stopped in the entrance, slightly turning toward her and showing one of his eyes covered by the shadow of his hair, giving him a very ominous look. "And remember, that from now on, I'll personally annihilate everyone that threatens my family. Whether you'll be a part of either of them is up to you." And with that he closed the door, ending their discussion, but bringing forth even more questions to her mind.

.

.########################.

.

With another cry of rage, Natsu slammed his bloodied fist upon the now partly destroyed rock, creating even more wreckage around him. As the life essence slowly seeped from his limbs, he raised them again and continued to pound the stone senselessly. He didn't know how long it continued but by the time that Macao interrupted him, he could no longer feel his hands, yet the pain remained. Not from his bruises, but a pain far greater in intensity; a pain that refused to leave him despite all his efforts.

"Natsu…" the Purple Flame mage whispered, wincing at the state of his friend. "Natsu, the King has announced a new competition; a competition between guilds of Fiore to showcase their power and standing. I…we can't refuse, as all the guilds were called for the inauguration. We must participate and show that we aren't crippled, that we're still a powerful guild. The winning price can help us also."

"Fairy Tail isn't crippled." The pink haired mage replied, turning around. His bloodied form along with his dead eyes was a very disturbing sight to see; but the older mage resisted his cringe. "We will participate." Was his simple answer. Macao signed, nodded and left him alone, for he knew very well the need to vent anger on something, and the Dragon Slayer had it in spades…

.

.###############################.

.

"Damn it!" Natsu cried out as he slammed his fist in the nearby wall. "We're not even in the top ten! Damn it!"

"Calm down, Natsu. Thirty forth out of all the guilds in Fiore isn't that bad." Wakaba placated his friend, calmly puffing on a cigarette. Truth be told, he knew very well that it wouldn't calm the Dragon Slayer, but he had at least to try. After all, they had done everything in their power to show that Fairy Tail wasn't out of commission, but all it did was show exactly the contrary. They were no longer the best guild in Fiore.

"Let's go home. We did what we could." Macao whispered, and with a nod all the members that participated in the Games followed. They were injured, exhausted and miserable, but they walked out of the arena with raised heads, knowing that they gave all they had…

.

When the members that had left for the Games entered the guild hall, Ultear didn't need an explanation for their state. She had seen it all, as had everyone in Fiore. Fairy Tail was no longer the top dog. As she observed those mages walk dejectedly to their seats, she could see many were angry; seething even. Some were venting their anger on chairs or tables, others were openly crying, but _**he**_ was the most notable of them all despite his motionless state. A dangerous aura seeped from him as he stared into space.

"All this is useless!" a man suddenly exclaimed after throwing a chair through the hall. The said furniture broke into pieces not too far from the Dragon Slayer, but he didn't bat an eyelash. "Look at us! A bunch of incompetent mages, that's what we are! We are nothing but scraps of the great Guild that was Fairy Tail! Yes, was!" he continued in his hated monologue. "We are nothing without them! But they are dead! And soon, Fairy Tail will be too!"

"Shut up…" Natsu whispered, a dark look appearing on his face.

"No! I won't shut up Natsu! Look at us! You are the strongest of us all, yet even you couldn't do a thing against them! We are crippled, and the whole country saw it with their eyes. Mission will decrease and after a while will stop coming altogether! We are done for!"

"I said shut up!" the Dragon Slayer cried out smashing his flaming fist on the bar and breaking it in two. "You are right! We are doomed! We are doomed if we continued to think like that! But Fairy Tail doesn't revolve only around _**them**_! Fairy Tail is before all else a family, and all of us make that family! Yes, they're no longer with us, yes we are crippled, but we're not dead yet!" Natsu continued with rage. Then with a great leap he smashed on the upper level and took hold of a familiar board.

"What are you doing, Natsu!?" Macao exclaimed his eyes widening. No one was authorized to take those missions!

"It's time to stop playing around and show what Fairy Tail is really capable of once and for all!" the pink haired mage replied brandishing a mission of S-Rank in his hand. "There is much work to do, so let's make sure that Fairy Tail is at the top when _**they **_return!"

.

.##############################.

.

Makarov and Gildarts were quietly listening to Natsu's story when a sudden knock on the door interrupted all of them. Opening the door, Macao entered the office with a serious face. "Sorry to disturb but there is an urgent matter, Natsu."

"We'll continue later, old man." The pink haired Master said and with a nod to the others, followed the Purple Flame mage.

Upon arriving in the hall, he was greeted by a familiar wizard. "Yo, Phoenix." He said with a wave to the Master.

"Bacchus, what's the matter?"

"We were returning from a mission when we ran into a Demon, at least A-Rank, but its size makes it easily into S-Rank." The mage from Quatro Cerberus replied. "It's near a little village a dozen of miles from here. I was the fastest so I came to warn. As of now my guys are trying to slow it down, and yes we told the civilians to leave the premises."

"Thank you Bacchus. Jet, take him and contain the beast until we arrive." Natsu ordered with a serious voice. With a nod, the orange haired mage gripped his fellow S-Rank mage and blurred from sight.

"What the hell?!" Gray exclaimed in surprise. "Where did he go, and what is happening?"

"Jet is the fastest mage in Fiore and is surely there by now. As you heard he will contain the Demon until we arrive to slay it." Natsu replied. "Meredy, prepare the Car."

"How will he contain a Demon of S-Rank?" Erza asked, sign of worry appearing in her voice.

"You're all asking too much questions, and we don't have the time. Just come and you'll see all by yourselves." The young Master said exasperated. "Macao, prepare another Car for our curious bunch." He continued with a smile.

After a minute, Natsu, Ultear, Meredy, Makarov and Gildarts departed in one of the cars, while Macao, Erza, Gray, Lucy, Gajeel, Mirajane and Laxus rode the second, slower but bigger one. Meredy maneuvered the vehicle like a pro, and she perfectly knew the direction to take without the need of any indication. After all, with her peculiar brand of magic that she had trained for all those years, she could feel her guild mates through the links she had created with them.

.

Swerving to the side, the vehicle slid to a stop a few minutes later; and once the wizards descended, the scenery before them was of destruction. The small village was nearly completely razed to the ground as a gigantic deformed beast stomped it with his talon like feet. Not a second later, Jet materialized beside them, frightening a few.

"Sorry Ultear, but the village was already in this state when I arrived." The orange haired speedster said with a wince. "I disposed the seals nonetheless. It can't escape de perimeter." He continued turning toward Natsu.

"What about the Quatro Cerberus? Are they alright?"

"A few are a bit injured but nothing to worry about." Jet replied over the screams of the otherworldly creature.

"Tell them to leave the area and to come here. As for the rest of you, please stay back." Natsu said advancing toward the ragging Demon. A few seconds later, Jet was back.

"What is going on? How did you contain that beast?" Gajeel asked, turning toward the Speed Mage.

"We have containment seals made for us by a member of the Council. They allow us to limit the Demon's attack range and contain it until a Demon Slayer arrives. Fortunately for us, we have our own Demon Slayer in the Guild." Jet explained with a smirk.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Lucy asked with worry. She knew Natsu was probably much stronger than before, but the Demon was really huge and its destruction reminded her of another beast, Achnologia…

"There is nothing to worry about when the _**Phoenix **_is here." Bacchus replied, having just arrived to hear the question. "That guy's a monster." He continued with a grin, looking as the pink haired Dragon Slayer stopped about a hundred yards in front of them. Then, Natsu raised his right hand over his head and suddenly it was engulfed in brilliant hot white flames, illuminating the area around him.

"What's that?!" Gray exclaimed with wide eyes. "Since when are his flames white?"

"That's what people call, _**Phoenix Flames**_." Macao supplied with a smile. "_**We**_, call it _**Fiendfyre**_." He continued with a dark glint in his eyes.

"Phoenix Flames?" Lucy asked with wonder. Again, his new moniker came up.

"Fiendfyre?" Mirajane continued with worry in her voice. She was very familiar with demons and what she dreaded wasn't a very good thing.

"A fire that's said to purify everything it touches." Jet supplied to Lucy.

"But in reality it's a fire so hot, that it transforms everything it touches to aches." Ultear finished, turning toward Mirajane. "Of course, it wasn't that deadly from the start. It was very hot thought, and painful." She continued, and unconsciously massaged her neck.

Suddenly Natsu brought his hand down in a cutting motion and a moment later the entire area contained by the seals was engulfed in a giant pillar of fire that rose to the skies. The heat coming from the fire was so intense that even at that distance and despite the barrier, the mages could still feel their skins heat. After a few seconds of burning, with another sweep of his arm, Natsu extinguished the fire and showed his companions what reminded of the Demon: aches…

"Holly shit!" Gray exclaimed with wide eyes. He couldn't believe his eyes. Natsu had erased that big monster from existence with just a swing of his arm. How powerful had he become?!

As if on cue, the containment seals shattered in thousands of pieces and dissipated in the air. The pink haired Dragon Slayer nodded toward them and Ultear walked toward him, closely followed by the others. Once they were near the young Master, they didn't know what to say. Even the stubborn Laxus was silent, still impressed by the technique.

.

"The damage to the village is great, so be careful." Natsu said, putting his hand on Ultear's shoulder. With a nod she advanced forward and raised her hands. Closing her eyes she concentrated. Slowly, a visible aura started to seep from her and the others could feel the great quantity of magic gathered around her. Then she opened her eyes and uttered: "Arc of Time!"

Instantly, the village started to repair itself under the incredulous eyes of the present mages. Walls started to assemble themselves, roofs glided back to their proper place, doors standing back in their hinges, even the burnt ground and grass growing back.

"Easy, Ultear, easy." Natsu whispered, running a soothing hand on her trembling back. Beads of sweat ran along her face as she returned everything to a time when it was unscathed. Finally after a dozen unbearably long minutes she let her hands fall to her side and swayed on her feet, but Natsu was already prepared for that as he rapidly swept her in a bridal style. Then he turned around and nodded to the others. "All's done here, we can return. Bacchus, take your team and stay the night in Fairy Tail. You've done a good job."

"Any day, Phoenix." the S-Rank mage replied with a smirk; and then nodding to his friends followed the pink haired man.

On their way to the Cars, cries of "Look it's him!" "The Phoenix!" "The Phoenix saved us!" "The Time Goddess!" "Blink!" "Thank you!" could be heard as the now saved civilians emerged from the surrounding forest.

"Hurry up before it gets too crowded." Natsu whispered, hastening.

.

"You make quite a team." Makarov said with a happy smile once inside the Car. "Between Blink, The Time Goddess and the Phoenix, this team is really fearsome!"

"Haha. Yes. That's probably true." Natsu replied with a smile. Everyone smiled along with him, but neither of them saw the frown on Macao's face as he exchanged a glance with the young Master. After a nearly indiscernible shake of head from Natsu, Macao nodded in understanding. It was still too soon to talk about _**that**_.  
>.<p>

.#####################.

.

After the injured Quatro Cerberus mages were cared for, the others sat around the bar, talking about their first experience after _hibernation_.

"I still can't believe what I saw." Erza whispered. "His power is tremendous."

"Don't be too quick to judge, we haven't seen anything yet." Laxus remarked with a frown.

"I'll use your own words, Dreyar, don't be too quick to judge." Macao replied with a smirk.

"And for Ultear, to be able to repair the whole village just by herself, I just don't know what to think." Lucy continued.

"Speaking of her, what is she doing here?" Gray asked, a frown appearing on his face. "I know she decided to leave Grimoire Heart, but to finish in Fairy Tail of all things…"

"She was the one that saved Natsu and brought him here after healing him." Wakaba replied, puffing on his cigarette. "Of course, Meredy-chan was with her!" he continued with a perverted grin.

"Shut it, you old moron." Macao said with exasperation in his voice. "She helped us on getting back to our feet. As you can think, we were quite crippled then."

"What about this entire Demon Slaying thing?" Mirajane asked with wonder. "All of you seemed quite ready for the situation."

"You see, after the Tenrou Island incident, Demons started to appear all around the country, be it by strange occurrence or from summoning by a Dark Guild. After what happened to our guild because of Zeref, we refused for anyone else to live the same thing, and decided to slay those Demons. At first we weren't very good at it. We were messy, uncoordinated, and hotheaded. But we were the only guild that had made its purpose to rid Fiore of those abominations, so our fame jumped quite a bit. At the time, Fairy Tail was no longer the first guild in the country and many doubted our prowess." Macao replied.

"Then, after a certain _**incident**_, where a Dark Guild attacked the King's Palace by summoning a colossal Demon from the Book of Zeref, people started to call Natsu the Phoenix. After we stopped the Demon and saved the King along his daughter, he recognized our valor and made Fairy Tail the official Demon Slaying Guild. The _**only**_ Demon Slaying Guild…" Wakaba continued.

"I don't even know what to say." Makarov whispered. "Maybe just that I'm very proud of all of you."

"What I want to know is how did Natsu finish with Ultear?" Gray asked out of the blue. "Of course beside the point that he is suddenly interested in women."

"Well, when you have a hot girl like her after you…" Gildarts began with a mischievous grin, but was interrupted by a slap on his head from Cana.

"Well, that's a story for another time." Macao said with a smile.

"Where is Salamander by the way?" Gajeel asked looking around.

"He left with Happy, something about reconnecting after all those years."

.

.########################.

.

Calmly sitting in the park, Natsu smiled seeing his little buddy happily shewing on a fish. It was still hard to believe that they were back after all those years. But he was really happy.

"Hey Natsu! I want another fish!" Happy exclaimed shaking the one in his paws.

"Finish this one before, and I'll buy you another." The pink haired mage replied with a smirk. Then his smirk transformed into a frown, and he turned his head to the side. "What a surprise seeing you here…" he said not trying in the slightest to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

"I came to see by myself." A man replied, coming from the shadow, covered head to toe in a dark cloak.

"Natsu! Who's this?!" Happy cried out, frightened by the sudden intrusion.

"Just and old man that thinks he knows better." His partner replied with a dark smirk. "Your contacts are very good. They're back for only a few hours and you already know."

"I try to please."

"Don't bullshit me, old man. I already said it, but I'll say it again: your plan is beyond ridiculous! Don't play those games! A useless sacrifice will help no one."

"It won't be a useless sacrifice. I've made sure of it. The power will only help him."

"It's useless in my eyes if you prefer to die than to live."

"I'm already-…"

"You're getting on my nerves, old man!" Natsu interrupted him. "I usually don't interfere in family business, but just this once, I may do an exception. Don't make me force you."

"As if you could…"

"Don't lie to yourself, old man. Both of us know who is stronger between us." Natsu replied with a dangerous smirk. "I'll let you leave this time, but hear my words: tell him the truth or I'll make you."

No answer came to that proclamation, but the Dragon Slayer needed none. He had made himself very clear; now he only needed to see what happened…

.

.#####################.

.

Opening the door to his chambers, Natsu stretched with a yawn. From the return of his friends to the Demon, and stubborn old men, the day was a really tiring one. Switching the light he was greeted by a surprise hug from Ultear. Returning the embrace he lifted her from the ground and jumped in the bed, twirling around so as to fall on his back, producing a squeal from the said girl.

"Hey there…" he whispered with a lopsided grin; a grin that was kissed not a second later. "You don't seem to be exhausted anymore. Are you alright?" he asked with a serious voice.

"Yes. But you, seem nearly falling from your feet." She returned. "A surprising day I have to admit."

"That's saying it mildly. I'm exhausted and probably will fall asleep on my feet." The pink haired mage replied, with another yawn.

"Oh, is that so?" Ultear asked slyly, before standing up. "Well if that's the case, I'll prepare to sleep." She continued with a fake disappointed voice, slowly stripping from her clothes. As her blue dress fell to the ground she undid the lace choker around her neck. Just as the skin under it was revealed, Natsu winced and averted his gaze.

"Every time I see those scars, I cringe." Natsu said with a frown.

"I think of it as a reminder." Ultear replied as she continued to strip down to her underwear before straddling his lap.

"Reminder of what; that I nearly killed you?" he asked with a grimace.

"No Natsu, a reminder that even for someone completely lost in darkness, there still can be a ray of hope." she finished with a warm smile, kissing him on the lips, before pushing him on the bed.

A few minutes later the window was opened with a bang and a flying cat stormed the room, crying: Natsu! I want to sleep!" Then seeing the state of the two mages shrieked and left the room by the door, his cries of: "Natsu is making babies!" heard all over the guild.

.

.

.

**AN: I hope you liked this chapter! As you saw, I showed only small parts of those seven years, as I thought that in one chapter that would have been too much. I'll continue to show the past as the story goes. I'm starting to show glimpse of Natsu's & Co. powers; the rest of that too will come very soon. And now tell me what you thought about this chap, and who the hell was that 'old man'? (It's really easy actually)  
>Anyway, see you soon!<strong>

**Zegeth**


	5. Chapter 5 : Family

**AN: Hey there guys! First off, thanks for all the reviews! You're awesome! We've reached 100! And the favs and follows are nearing 300, that just incredible. I'm very happy. So here is the new chapter, the longest I've written for this story so far! The old man, some of you are close. But he'll stay a mystery for just a little bit more. But next chap you'll see him!  
>I hope you'll like this chapter, as I wrote it with pleasure. <strong>

**.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Family<strong>

.

.

"Would you stop glaring at me, Erza?" Natsu said after a sigh. She hadn't stopped staring at him with a fierce look since the morning. To answer his question, she huffed and mumbled something under her breath, and even with his acute hearing, he was able to distinguish only a few words: "sleeping", "enemy", "use", "Seduction Armor". The last one caused him to sigh again. What had gotten into her? "Have they left already?" he asked, turning toward Macao that sat nearby, silently discussing with Lucy.

"Yes, Bacchus preferred to go home as quickly as possible. Their mission seemed quite important."

"Well, I'm sure Goldmine will tell me when I'll see him later." Natsu replied, and then taking his bottle of beer, raised it to his lips. Stopping an inch away, he sighed and put it back on the table, then with a flick of his wrist made it slide to Erza. "Take a sip; it'll calm you a bit." He said with a grin.

After another huff, she sipped a bit of the cold drink and a slight smile formed on her beautiful face. It wasn't quite bad if she had to tell the truth. With a bigger smile, she raised the bottle again.

"Where is Ultear-chan by the way?" Wakaba asked with a puff of smoke, after sitting to his left. Natsu sighed again, and not a second later the sound of broken glass attracted attention to the redheaded Requip mage. Her hand was tightened into a fist, bits of the broken bottle of beer littering the table. "Did I say something strange?" Wakaba continued, oblivious to the current atmosphere.

The pink haired Dragon Slayer could already feel the headache coming. Fortunately, the eagerness of a certain mage saved them from a really awkward conversation. For not even a second later, the young Master turned around and caught Laxus' lightning engulfed fist. The force of the hit was so powerful, that a little shockwave pushed back the mages around the now deadlocked pair.

"Impatient, aren't we?" Natsu said with a smirk.

"Yes, to weep the floor with you." Laxus replied with a feral smile of his own. That smile transformed into a grimace of pain, after Natsu stood up, still holding the Lightning Mage's hand, and with incredible speed delivered to him a sucker punch with his right knee. While the blond was still in levitation from the hit, the Fire Dragon Slayer caught his left shoulder, and after a quick spin, launched the surprised Laxus through the now opened giant doors of the Guild.

"Just because we have a mage that can repair damage doesn't mean that we have to wreak havoc everywhere." He said, calmly leaving the hall under the incredulous eyes of his friends.

.

When everyone was outside to observe the confrontation, they saw that the Dreyar had been launched quite a distance from the building. He stood there with a frown on his face, but otherwise unharmed.

"Jet, would you kindly?" the young Master asked without losing his adversary from sight.

"There's no need to ask, Natsu." The orange haired speedster replied with a smile, before blurring away. Every second, he appeared and disappeared all around them, leaving seals on his wake. After only a dozen seconds, he was back in his starting position, work done.

"Was that the containment seals?" Lucy asked with wonder.

"Indeed." Jet answered with a smile. "I learned Requip magic to store all those seals so as to rapidly use them when in need. As you can see, it's quite handy."

"You-…you learned Requip?!" Lisanna asked surprised. That magic was so used by Erza, that seeing someone else with it felt strange.

"Well, we weren't just sitting around those past seven years, you know. The world is moving, and you either move with it or stray behind; and with someone like Natsu with us, there is no way to stray behind." Jet explained as he watched the said young man walk toward Laxus.

"I'll say it now: go all out on me, or you'll have no chance whatsoever."

"Don't try to bullshit me, Salamander! A few years haven't changed anything."

"Have it your way then." Natsu replied with a sigh. "Then come at me". He continued with a cheeky smile. Not waiting for it to be said twice, the Lightning Dragon Slayer took the form of his magic namesake and traveled the distance between them in the blink of an eye. After reforming, he launched a quick right hook, but Natsu easily side stepped his strike and with his right hand pushed Laxus away, the force being enough to separate them by a dozen yards.

"You're fast, but after training with the fastest man alive, to me your movements seem quite sluggish." The pink haired mage said with a smile. "You'll have to do better than that, brat."

With a cry of rage, Laxus disappeared again, this time going at the double of his original speed, but in the same manner, he was pushed away after missing his mark. Jumping again, this process was repeated a few more times before the Dreyar lost his composure and launched a Lightning Bolt toward his opponent. Natsu, for his part, outstretched his right hand and just as the attack was to strike him down; the lightning swerved to the side and wrapped itself around his arm, circling it like a snake. Then, pointing his index and middle finger toward the disbelieving Laxus, launched the attack back. After side stepping his own returned attack, the blond frowned.

"What's so surprising? After all, you were the one that gave me this power. Seven years were more than enough to learn to control Lightning." Natsu said with a grin.

"He learned to harness lightning?!" Gray exclaimed not believing his ears. With every new discovery, he started to understand that his_** rival**_ was now in a completely different league…

"You better start to use your Dragon Slayer Magic, because I'm starting to fight back." Natsu continued taking on a fighting stance. An instant later, the enraged Laxus appeared to his left, bringing a quick kick to his face. But, the pink haired mage blocked the incoming hit with his left hand and with his right, delivered a powerful hook to the blond's face that sent him skidding back.

Without giving Laxus a second of respite, Natsu arrived on him and after countering all the incoming attacks, sent a kick of his own, causing his opponent to lose his breath. Then, swinging his right arm, he delivered an uppercut to the still dizzy Dreyar.

"_**Fire Dragon's: Roar!"**_ Natsu exclaimed suddenly, and wave of fire of enormous proportions sped to the wobbling Lighting Mage. His eyes widening he raised his arms in protection and let his magic explode around him just a second before being engulfed in fire. As the dust settled, Laxus could be seen with his arms still raised in front of him, completely burned on the sides.

Then with a snarl he jumped forward crying: _**Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd**_! And as the giant spear shaped attack neared his unmoving opponent, Natsu leant his head back, and inhaled; the effect was instantaneous, as the spear broke apart and the lightning dissipated in the air. Then bringing his fists together, he roared: _**Lightning Flame Dragon's Brilliant Flame**_!, and fired the attack at the still hovering Laxus. The said man morphed into his lightning form in the hopes of escaping, but he wasn't fast enough. As the technique slammed into him like a flying Dragon, he let escape a cry of pain, before being completely engulfed in the fire.

Before the dust was settled, a bruised Laxus jumped from it in a surprise attack, his fist illuminated in lightning, but the pink haired Master caught it with ease, a small grin appearing on his face.

"You're strong Laxus; you'll most likely kick Jura's ass, and maybe a few others'. But now, the gap between us is just too great, and I'll show it to you." Natsu said, his tone taking on a deadly tint. His hold on Laxus' fist tightened to unbearable heights and the blond crumbled to his knees despite himself. Then, like a switch being turned, unimaginable quantities of magic literally exploded from the Fire Dragon Slayer, creating a large crater under him from the sheer pressure. Surprising everyone around them, another spike of power escaped from Natsu and the crater under him widened to twice its former size and the pressure got so overwhelming that the spectators started to fall all to their knees, sweat rolling down their frozen in horror faces. After only a dozen of seconds, Natsu was the only one still standing as the deadly aura leaked from him in waves. His eyes were no longer visible, replaced by white sclera; his muscles started to bulge from the power cursing through them; and slowly, scales started to from on his skin.

All of his friends were mutedly staring at him, too overwhelmed by his show of power. But one of them wasn't shocked nor impressed by his power, no, she was trembling in fear. Fear, because such a thing shouldn't be possible. The thing she felt from Natsu wasn't supposed to exist…

Suddenly, the pink haired young man closed his eyes, and like another switch, the pressure was lifted from them, letting them breathe again. Slowly, on wobbly legs, they all stood up, still under the shock of this display. But Mirajane was still trembling. And no one had seen her lapse, no one, bar one. A gentle hand was put on her shoulder, making her jump in fright, before turning around.

"Come with me, Mira. It seems, he was right, after all…" Macao said with a serious face, as he silently led her away, overlooked by the still dazed guild mates.

.

.#####################.

.

The guild was silent. All of them were seated in the hall, but no one was courageous enough to break the silence. That is, until a certain blue flying cat decided that it was enough. "Natsu, I'm hungry!" and just like that, the heavy atmosphere disappeared. The said pink haired young man walked to the bar and after rummaging for a bit, launched his childhood friend a fish. Happy caught it with ease and started to shew on it, humming a merry song.

"I think we should postpone any other spars for now." Natsu said, turning toward Gray and Gajeel.

"Oh! Hey, well, don't worry about that. Haha. There is always a time to fight later." Gray replied with an awkward smile, to which the young Master nodded.

"You sure have grown stronger, Salamander." Gajeel continued with a frown. "I feel quite weak in comparison now."

"Oh, don't worry, you'll get used to it!" Wakaba exclaimed with a snort of laugher. "Natsu is on a completely different league than us."

"I sure as hell won't let it stay like this!" the bandaged Laxus exclaimed suddenly, with fire in his eyes. "And if you take it lying down like this, you're weaker than I gave you credit for!" he continued, turning toward the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"Who are you calling weak?!" Gajeel replied, jumping to his feet.

"That's more like it." Natsu said with a smile. "Train hard and we'll have a rematch."

"Hey Flame Brain, I wanted to ask, where are Warren and Reedus? I haven't seen them since we returned." Gray asked out of the blue, a frown appearing on his face.

"Warren…is on a mission, but he'll be back soon." Natsu replied. "As for Reedus…" he stood up and walked toward a door that none of them had paid attention to until now. He opened it and walked inside, without uttering a word. Perplexed by his actions, his friends followed him through the door only to freeze in shock.

There in a small garden, a few gravestones could be seen, and on one of them was written: _**Reedus Jonah, X757 - X785, A great friend and mage, lived until his last breath, protecting his family.**_

"No…" Lucy whispered, tears falling from her eyes. "How…why…?"

The rest of them weren't faring better, as they cried silently for their great fallen friend.

"Sometimes, Life likes to remind us that we live in a merciless world." Natsu whispered his hands tightened into fists. "A lesson that we learned…" he finished, before turning around and leaving.

.

'_It's time that you show yourself, Warren.'_

'_I just couldn't bear seeing all their happy faces, filled with joy. A bunch of naïve children that haven't seen the harsh reality of the world.'_

'_And I have the intention to leave it that way. A group of __**monsters**__ is already enough…'_

'_Taking the brunt for the others, you haven't changed in the slightest, Natsu.'_

'_And I hope that I'll stay that way.'_

'_We all hope for it, Natsu, we all do…'_

_._

With a sight, the pink haired young man finished his telepathic conversation with his friend and walked to the bar, where Happy had already finished his third fish. Giving his buddy a smile, he took a bottle of alcohol and gulped a bit before sitting down.

A few minutes later, when his friends had returned in the hall, he stood up, his previous sadness completely erased. "Let's go Gramps. We have an appointment with the Council. And I want to be done with it as quickly as possible." Makarov nodded and approached the young Master to the doors. But before they could leave, they were opened and a figure walked inside.

"Oh! Ul-chan! You're back." Natsu said with a smile. And for the first time, his friends observed her in details. She was quite tall, with her long dark hair combed back, maintained by a white headband. A tightfitting black bodysuit accentuated her voluptuous curves; her arms were covered by elbow long black gloves; in the same way, tight high black boots covered her long legs. The ensemble was protected by a blue cloak, with the Fairy Tail mark in the back. But what attracted attention the most, was the lace choker around her neck, encrusted by numerous gems, twinkling from the slightest of movements.

"Beautiful…" Lucy whispered. The woman before them was gorgeous in every right; it was only logical that she had garnered Natsu's attention. And suddenly she felt self-conscious.

"Have you found him?" the pink haired young man asked, the smile still adorning his face.

"Yes. He'll come." Ultear replied with her own smile.

"Good; very good. Now, gramps, it's time for us to go." He said and started to walk away. Stopping beside the Time Mage, he took her hand in his and gave it a slight squeeze. "Don't worry, Ultear. I'll be back in no time." He whispered and leaning toward her he gave her a peck on the cheek, before leaving the Guild, followed by Makarov.

.

Slowly, she approached the bar and took the glass from Laki's outstretched hand. With a nod of thanks, she sat down with the rest of her guild mates, before taking a sip of her drink. "Good morning." She said with a calm voice, sweeping her gaze around her. After her greeting was returned, another silence took place. Taking another sip, she spoke up: "I hope that our past differences won't hinder our relationship."

"Who I am to judge, when I'm coming from the same situation?" Gajeel replied with a smirk. That remark broke the heavy atmosphere and all of them smiled. "You're strong, have a unique and useful magic, and most of all, you tamed Salamander! What else there's to ask for?"

"Well, I'm not sure about who tamed who, but thank you." Ultear said with a warm smile.

"Your choker is very beautiful." Lucy admired with a shy smile.

"Ah, indeed, it's a present from Natsu." The Time Mage replied, unconsciously running her fingers along it.

"It must have cost a fortune." Lucy continued with sparkling eyes. "Can I…?"

"Of course." Ultear said with a smile, before undoing the chocker and handing it to the blonde. But the Celestial Mage was frozen in shock, starring at her neck with an open mouth. There was a large scar around her throat, slightly resembling…fingers?

"What…? What happened?" Lucy asked with horror. "I don't remember it being there seven years ago."

"Oh, yes. It's a mark left by Natsu after he nearly killed me." She explained calmly with an innocent smile.

"What?!" the until now silent Erza cried out in surprise. "He…he nearly killed you?!"

"Well, we didn't get along very well at first, if I say so myself." The Time Mage continued. "Just after the incident on Tenrou, Natsu was quite…volatile."

"Then how did you two…well…you know." Erza asked, a slight blush coming to her face.

"He wanted to help Meredy and I. But every time he looked at me, I remained him of his loss. So our relationship was…shaky at best. At the time, I was still from a Dark Guild and the Council wanted my head. They never were able to take it, but not for a lack of trying, no. Because despite everything, I was under Fairy Tail's protection, and Fairy Tail never abandons its members. Natsu crushed every battalion of Rune Knights that they sent after me; and after many unsuccessful attempts they finally relented. I think that having the same enemy, maybe for different reasons but still, brought us closer. I finally found a place to call Home, and _he_ found a new friend to rely on."

"That's so…Natsu." Lucy whispered with glimpses of tears in her eyes.

"And how long are you…um…together?" Gray asked.

"Four years."

"Well, that's quite a number."

"Indeed." Ultear agreed, putting back the choker around her neck.

.

"Hello everyone. Welcome back." A male monotonous voice suddenly said out of nowhere. Everyone turned around to see a man standing at the door, completely dressed in black, his face hidden by the shadow of his hood. "Hi, Ultear." He continued.

"Warren." The said woman replied, with a nod, causing cries of surprise from the others. Surprising them even more, Warren only nodded again, before walking away.

"What the…?! Why didn't he come to talk to us?" Gray asked with a frown.

"The hell happened with the guy?" Gajeel continued.

Macao sighed before massaging his temples. He was too old for all of this! "Like I said before, many things happened in your absence. Good and bad. More bad than good, to say the truth." He said with another sigh. "During that accident where the King's Palace was attacked, all of us were fighting on different fronts. As you can imagine, we fought the members of the Dark Guild, while Natsu took on the giant Demon. Despite all his efforts, the beast refused to submit. It was too strong. I, along with Ultear and Jet fought their Master. The guy was a monster in his own right and I don't know how we didn't hear about him before. At the same time, Warren with a few others was doing everything to evacuate the civilians. With his Telepathic Magic, he contacted everyone his could in 3 miles radius, telling them to flee. And in that particular moment, the Demon used one of his attacks and vaporized an entire block, along with every person with it. Warren was still connected to them while they died. He felt…he felt them die, hundreds, thousands of them. And he died with them, all those times." Macao explained with a pained face.

"Oh my god…!" Lisanna whispered, openly crying. A sentiment shared by her friends, as they sat there, utterly shocked beyond words.

"Enraged for not being able to stop it in time, Natsu entered a berserker state. Flying from the ashes of the wreckage left by the Demon, he took on a strange bird-like form and slayed the Demon with his white flames. The desperate people that were present at the time saw him like a Phoenix rising from its aches to unleash holy judgment on their aggressor. But once the deed was done, he crumbled to the ground, the strain being too much for him to bear." Macao continued. "What we didn't know was that, the Dark Guild had summoned two Demons and the second one stumbled upon the fallen Natsu. Despite his near catatonic state, Warren felt the dark presence and tried to inform us. Reedus was the only one that heard the call, and without thinking about himself, he rushed to Natsu's aid. They fought it, but it was too strong for them. In the end, Reedus pushed Natsu from an attack and took a killing blow. With his dying breath, he drew a secret Seal and trapped the Demon inside. When we arrived, it was already too late…" Macao finished with difficulty.

"As you saw in the garden, Reedus wasn't the only loss that day. Numerous Fairy Tail mages perished in that fight." Wakaba supplied, with a puff of his cigarette.

"You talk too much, Macao. And you forgot to tell that the seal was stolen a few years ago." Warren said in his monotonous voice. "Natsu is back." He continued, before sitting at the bar.

.

As Natsu and Makarov entered the guildhall, they immediately felt the heavy atmosphere. With a long sigh he closed the doors and turned toward his friends. "Welcome the Old New Master." He said pointing toward the old Dreyar.

"What? You stepped down?" Gray asked suddenly.

"Well, like I said before, I was the Master only until gramps returned. Now that he's here, the job is his." Natsu replied with a smile. "Of course, I still have some privileges." He continued with a dangerous smirk. "Anyway, Gray, Erza, Lucy, Jet, Meredy and Ultear, you're coming with me, I have a mission." He finished.

"A mission?" Lucy asked her eyes widening. The first mission since their return!

"Those that I didn't call, don't worry, your time will come very soon. The rest come with me, I'll explain en route." The pink haired young man said before leaving the guild, closely followed by the others.

.

.#####################.

.

"So, you're telling us that there is a sighing of strange monsters near a small village, and we have to get rid of them? That's all?" Gray asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, actually, this mission will be a perfect occasion for you to get used to our new working pattern." Natsu explained with a smile, as he swerved to the right with the Car. After a few more minutes, they stopped near a small village in the middle of a sandy plain.

"Gray, Lucy you'll go with Jet, go west. Erza, you're with Ultear, you take north. Meredy is with me and we'll head east. Slay everything that's suspicious. Let's meet here in three hours. If something happens, Meredy will inform me. Now, good luck." He said as they started in their chosen direction. But before Erza could walk away, Natsu caught her by the hand and tugged her back. "Listen to her Erza." He whispered, before leaving with Meredy.

.

.###################.

.

Slashing the insect like monster with her sword she jumped backward only to see a wave of Ice freeze a dozen of them in place. Turning around, Erza slayed three others while Ultear reduced a few into ashes with her Time Magic. Those monsters weren't particularly difficult to kill, but it was still a good exercise of teamwork. When the last of them fell to the ground from her sword, she heard a clap of hands behind them. Instantly on guard, the two of them turned around only to see a man sitting on a branch of a three, with a smirk on his face.

"Who are you?" Erza asked, summoning another sword.

"Oh, you must be the Titania that I heard so much of, Erza Scarlet."

"I'll give you another chance, before my sword pierces you." The Requip Mage replied with a scowl.

"He feels strange, Erza. Stay put."

"Yes, yes. Stay put, little Fairy. Listen to your friend." The man mocked with a laugh. Just as he leaned his head backward to laugh even more, Erza was on him, the tip of her sword ready to pierce him through. But just before the deed could be done, the man evaded the strike, and as if in slow motion, brought his left hand, gripping a wicked dagger, to her face. Preparing herself for the pain, Erza was surprised when a green sphere deflected the blade, before Ultear, arriving from the side, delivered a powerful kick to the man's face, sending him away from them.

"I told you to stay put, didn't I?" the Time Mage asked gritting her teeth. "He feels very strange, and familiar, I can't put a hand on it."

"I would have been fine. It won't happen again." Erza replied, before magic engulfed her and the Black Wing Armor appeared around her. Then, jumping forward she flew toward the man, swinging her blade. Again, the man evaded the strike, but this time decided to jump to the side, where a giant ice rose bloomed from the ground, hitting him on the side. The scarlet haired woman was upon him in second, but her swing was only able to slice his cloak. Discarding the cloth, he raised his hand and a small sphere started to form in front of his palm, as his eyes took on a red quality.

Suddenly Ultear remembered where she had seen him and her eyes widened as she started to run toward the Requip Mage.

"Run Erza! Don't try to resist! You can't stop it!" but she refused to listen, raising her sword as her Adamantine armor took place. The man fired his attack and a laser like beam travelled the distance between him and his enemy in the blink of an eye. As if in slow motion, Ultear saw the glee in the _**monster's**_ eyes as the deadly beam approached her guild mate. Sweeping her left hand, she willed her Arc of Time to help her, and just for a nanosecond, time stopped still, but it was all she needed to jump and tackle Erza.

When the said redhead understood her position on the ground, covered by Ultear, she pushed the Time Mage from her and wanted to ask what was all that about, when her heart missed a beat. Ultear lay there with wide eyes, a fist sized hole piercing her chest…

.

.##################.

.

With another sweep of his arm, the pink haired Dragon Slayer incinerated another of the strange bug like beasts. Surprisingly enough they had stumbled upon a good hundred of them; but their little resistance as well as fragile bodies posed no problems whatsoever for the pink haired duo. Raising both of his hands, he summoned a wall of fire and burned the rest of them to a crisp. With a snort he turned toward his daughter-like figure and gave a thumb up.

"Natsu!" she cried out suddenly, her eyes widening.

"What is it?!"

"Ultear!" she replied, her hands starting to tremble. Dragneel's eyes narrowed as he approached her.

"Where?" he asked, and she showed him with a touch. His eyes widening he took a few steps back, and turned away. Not a moment later, white fire exploded around his body and long wings made from fire shot from his back. After crouching a bit he suddenly propelled himself high in the air, and when his inertia was no longer carrying him, his wings started to beat behind him, taking him forward at incredible speeds, leaving a fire trail behind.

Only a few second later he arrived to the scene, crashing a few yards beside the lying women. His eyes widening even more, and his heart beating even faster, he approached the still form of Ultear, lying in Erza's arms.

"Ultear…" he whispered, as tears started to form in his eyes.

"N..Na-…-tsu…" she choked out, blood leaking from her mouth.

His eyes still wide he stood up, turning toward the smiling man.

"You…"

"Yes, me. I'm happy to see you again, little Dragon. Our last fight was postponed by a friend of yours. Now, we're free to exchange blows. But before that, tell me, how does it feel to know that you still can't protect your friends despite all your _training_? How many times did we fight? Well, I'll say many; but every time you were too weak to win. And look, now another fell by my hand."

"She's not dead yet." Natsu replied with a growl.

"Oh, well, to me she seems like a corpse."

Suddenly Natsu cried out in rage and colossal quantities of magic began to leak from him, crushing the ground around him by the cheer pressure. Raging fire started to swirl around him, with bolts of lightning slamming here and there. Scales started to appear on his skin and the pressure quadrupled in intensity, pushing Erza to the ground.

Crouching low, he jumped forward, leaving a crater behind him as he flew toward the man at breakneck speed. Bringing his fist back, he swung it toward its face, now engulfed in deadly white flames. Upon contact, the man was sent flying, his skins melting away.

Standing up, he brought his hand to his now disfigured face and tore the skin away, revealing his true form, that of a Demon. "Not a bad punch, little Dragon; but I'm sure you can do better." He said before raising his hand and launching another of his laser like beams.

Rapidly dodging to the side, Natsu propelled again toward his opponent, flame wings growing from his back, but the Demon was ready; already preparing another beam. Just as the pink haired Dragon Slayer approached him, he exploded into flames and vanished from sight, only to reappear behind the Demon, delivering a skull crushing blow to his head. As the man flew from the hit, Natsu reappeared in his way to bring another strike, swinging his flame engulfed hand through the Demon's arm, severing it from the body. Before he had time to scream from pain, a kick sent him away. But again, the Dragon Slayer reappeared in his way, only to catch him by his face.

The look that Natsu adorned was demented, and very alien on his usually smiling face. His hands were crushing the Demons skull, and what wasn't crushed was slowly burned to crisps by his hot fire. Producing another cry of rage, the pink haired mage exploded in flames, his victim exploding along with him. And as the fire slowly settled around him, Natsu stood alone, only aches at his feet.

"Natsu!" Meredy cried out suddenly appearing beside the lying Ultear, with Jet holding her by the hand. "Natsu!" she continued as tears escaped from her eyes.

Like a switch, the raging magic dissolved in the air as he looked back to his daughter. Not paying attention to the others, Natsu rapidly approached the dying woman and took a hold of her hand. "Ultear." He whispered again.

"Na…-tsu…" she replied again, raising her shaking hand to his cheek. "I…lo-..ve..y-..ou…"

"I'm sorry Natsu. All…all is my fault! I…I refused to listen to her! She told me but…but I refused. And now…"

"Quiet." Natsu interrupted her, his voice taking on a deadly tone. "Meredy, connect us."

"But Natsu…"

"Do it!" he ordered with force. She nodded with teary eyes and waved her hand around her _**parents**_. Suddenly, the Maguilty Sense appeared on their hands, and not a second later, Natsu doubled in pain. Blood started to leak from his nose and mouth, as he gritted his teeth. Then, he closed his eyes and uttered: "Arc of Time."

"What…is he doing?" Lucy asked silently between sobs.

"By completely linking with her being, he can use her magic, but at the same time, he feels everything she feels…" Jet explained with a pained expression.

"What you don't know, is that Ul's magic is peculiar. She can accelerate or revert the time of objects. But when it's a person, things are different. With a simple injury, she can accelerate the body and it will repair the damage that would have taken months, in seconds. But when the injury is mortal, by accelerating you'll only kill the person. So the only solution is to rewind the time backward. But to erase the future of someone, you have to pay, with your own time." Meredy explained, still crying, but at least now, knowing that all would be alright.

They silently watched as Natsu, engulfed by a magical aura, worked on Ultear. Slowly, but surely, the organs started to mend together, closing the gaping hole. At the same time, a patch of Natsu's hair on the side of his head began to lose its color. Finally, after agonizingly long minutes, Ultear was healed and safe from harm; and Natsu now portrayed a patch of white hair.

Sighing, he wiped the blood on his face and scoped Ultear in his arms. After a moment, she regained consciousness and upon seeing him, a smile formed on her face. "Natsu… Selfless idiot." She whispered, caressing his cheek with one hand.

"A few years of my life is but a small price to pay, Ultear."

"Just don't make a habit of it." She continued with a small laugh.

"As long as you're beside me." He replied with an exhausted smile.

"I love you, Natsu Dragneel." She whispered.

"As I love you, Ultear Milkovich." He whispered back, before leaning toward her and giving her a kiss. She returned the kiss with fervor, tightly wrapping her hands around his neck.

When they were finally seated in the Car, Erza bowed to the Time Mage and said: "Please forgive my foolishness. Because of my actions, you nearly lost your life. Please, give me any punishment you deem necessary, I'll take it without complaints."

"There is no need for any of that, Erza. I did what I did with a light heart, knowing that I was saving a member of my family." Ultear replied with a smile. "I'm sure you would have done the same." She finished. Erza could only nod in mute astonishment.

After a signal from the fire Dragon Slayer, they all seated themselves in the Car and began the long way home, to _**Fairy Tail**_. All along, Ultear stared at Natsu's back, with a loving smile on her face, holding the crying Meredy in her arms.

.

.

**AN: I hope you liked the backstories I made for a few of the characters. Tell me what you thought about this chapter. See you soon  
>Zegeth.<strong>


End file.
